Mr Fabricant, 67, who has previously described himself as "not exclusively gay", was asking the prime minister to support the bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the West Midlands when Mrs May revealed his appearance on the dating show.

"I have noticed that my Honourable Friend apparently is shortly to appear on a Channel 4 programme called Celebrity First Dates," Mrs May said during Prime Minister's Questions.

"What I'm not sure about is whether my Honourable Friend is the celebrity or the first date."

The 67-year-old confirmed to the Lichfield Mercury he is to appear on the show which will be broadcast in November or December.

He told the newspaper "I am not taking a penny...£25,000 will be going to Cancer Research UK".

Mr Fabricant will appear in the celebrity version of the popular programme which records first dates between single strangers and their reactions afterwards.